Flinders Street killer driver ‘guilty’

Saeed Noori has pleaded guilty to using his car to run down pedestrians at one of Melbourne's busiest pedestrian crossings in December last year.

Antonio Crocaris, 83, died in hospital eight days after being hit by the four-wheel-drive at the intersection of Elizabeth and Flinders streets on December 21.

Noori, an Australian citizen of Afghan descent, was charged with one count of murder and 18 counts of attempted murder. Today, he pleaded guilty.

Chaotic scenes were sparked when the vehicle - Noori's mother's Suzuki Vitara - accelerated through the intersection adjacent to Flinders Street Station. Among those hit and injured was a four-year-old boy.

Noori was arrested by an off-duty police officer.

Saeed Noori has pleaded guilty to one count of murder. Picture: 7News

In court, Noori's lawyer previously claimed his client suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The court also heard that "intent" was never established.

Noori will be sentenced at a later date. His guilty plea follows the conviction of James Gargasoulas on six counts of murder for using a stolen car to run people down at Bourke Street, Melbourne, in January last year.

He was found guilty of all six counts of murder and 27 additional counts of reckless conduct endangering life following a lengthy pre-trial hearing.

The vehicle was stopped by a bollard protecting the tram stop. Picture: Twitter